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Raising children in a non-vegan world

Ok, I just had a very proud Mommy moment. My son is 3 and we were at an appointment, there were many other children and parents in the waiting room. My son was at the play kitchen where they had all this fake food. Of course the food is meat products also, which I had never really thought about before.....I was watching him thinking, what are we teaching our children? They are playing, pretending to cook animals.....how terrible! As I was thinking this Niko (my son) walked up to me, he can always tell somehow when I am a bit upset, and handed me a play plate with fake pizza on it. He goes' "it's ok Mommy, it's vegan pizza". I got a few weird looks from other parents and I did not care (: So proud of my little boy!!!!!! I hugged him and thanked him for being so wonderful!

Re: Raising children in a non-vegan world

Re: Raising children in a non-vegan world

Lol! That is cute!

Not quite so cute was when my kids picked up my habit of using the word 'disgusting' a lot whenever we were close to the supermarkets meat aisles.

It's the grandaughters new 'trick' I like best though. The mere sight of meat prompts her to tell, quite loudly, the story of when naughty Charlie snuck meat into her food and she was sick three times.

Can't tell if its the camera angle or not but for a 3 year old your Niko looks like what we Brits would call a 'strapping' young lad!

Re: Raising children in a non-vegan world

I think disgusting evertime I go through the deli section lol, I swear I can smell the blood and it makes my stomach churn...ik I am crazy lol. Someone actually put meat in ur granddaughter's food???? I would be livid! Ty for the kind words Cupid (: Wish I could take the credit but he looks just like his Grandfather.

Re: Raising children in a non-vegan world

What a wonderful little boy you have Bella Tanie!

I have two little kids too. My son is two and a half, and he doesn't go to day care so we don't have any problems with food, as he only eats with us. But my daughter is in grade one, and she gets really jealous of what other kids are eating. She's never asked for meat, but she always asks for products containing dairy. So I bake things for her, and I find alternatives, and I thought we were doing okay, but... I spoke with her teacher yesterday and I found out, that she's been asking other children to share their food with her, and she does it all the time. That broke my heart, and I don't know how to deal with it. I explained to her the reason we don't eat dairy and animal products, and she agrees, but she still wants to eat what the other kids are eating. What would you do? My husband says we should just allow her to eat what she wants at school, and maybe he's right I don't know, but I just don't have the heart to pack dairy for her, or to give her money so she can buy something like that on her own.

I find it aweful though that all those children eat cookies every single day. I don't want my daughter eating cookies all the time, even if they are vegan.

Re: Raising children in a non-vegan world

It is a very tough decision to make, it is very sad ): I am just thinking you should do whatever works best for your family. I explain to my kids what I would like them to eat and why, but also understand that they r children and they do not fully understand. So you cannot really fault her for wanting to do what everyone else is bc she is a small child. Do not think you are doing anything wrong, just keep explaining your views she will catch on eventually. You know what is best for her, ur her Mom.

Re: Raising children in a non-vegan world

Chloe76

What a wonderful little boy you have Bella Tanie!

I have two little kids too. My son is two and a half, and he doesn't go to day care so we don't have any problems with food, as he only eats with us. But my daughter is in grade one, and she gets really jealous of what other kids are eating. She's never asked for meat, but she always asks for products containing dairy. That broke my heart, and I don't know how to deal with it. I explained to her the reason we don't eat dairy and animal products, and she agrees, but she still wants to eat what the other kids are eating. What would you do? My husband says we should just allow her to eat what she wants at school, and maybe he's right I don't know, but I just don't have the heart to pack dairy for her, or to give her money so she can buy something like that on her own.

I find it aweful though that all those children eat cookies every single day. I don't want my daughter eating cookies all the time, even if they are vegan.

My tuppence worth on that one Chloe ..

Your daughter is probably more craving to have the exact same things as her freinds rather than actualy craving the dairy in the things they have.

(It's a trait in children that many companies exploit and make absolute fortunes out of. As in how the £10.00 trainers that look exactly like Nike/Reebok/whatever are not good enough. They have to have the actual £2,000,000 per pair ("Laces Madame? That will be another million quid, and no you can't buy a spare pair. Once these laces are knackered we want little Johnny to throw tantrums 'cos he doesn't have the exact same laces as his freinds untill you have to fork out £2,000,000 for a whole new pair of shoes again. Should be illegal you say Madame? Most certainly it should be Madame, yes.) trainers exactly like all their freinds)

Only answer I know to that one is a very difficult trick to pull off indeed. You have to imbue a certain something in your children that makes the other kiddies want the exact same things as them.

Re: Raising children in a non-vegan world

Only answer I know to that one is a very difficult trick to pull off indeed. You have to imbue a certain something in your children that makes the other kiddies want the exact same things as them.

Lol! I do try to do that, I'm a sneaky mom

I know kids want to fit in and be the same as their friends, and have all the same stuff. I remember I felt the same way. And that's why I feel bad making her different. Then I remember all the reasons I live the way I do, and that it's not only a more moral way to live, but a healthier way to live. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, but I knowthat at least right now, I just can't do it any other way.
Yesterday we went to a little party, and she wanted cheese. I took her aside and said, that if she wants some she can have it, it's her decision. That she knows the reasons why we don't eat cheese, but she has the right to choose. I promised her, that if she can be patient until Monday, I will go to the vegan store, and buy vegan cheese for her. She said ok, and that's what we did.

Re: Raising children in a non-vegan world

Chloe76

Lol! I do try to do that, I'm a sneaky mom

I know kids want to fit in and be the same as their friends, and have all the same stuff. I remember I felt the same way. And that's why I feel bad making her different. Then I remember all the reasons I live the way I do, and that it's not only a more moral way to live, but a healthier way to live. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, but I knowthat at least right now, I just can't do it any other way.
Yesterday we went to a little party, and she wanted cheese. I took her aside and said, that if she wants some she can have it, it's her decision. That she knows the reasons why we don't eat cheese, but she has the right to choose. I promised her, that if she can be patient until Monday, I will go to the vegan store, and buy vegan cheese for her. She said ok, and that's what we did.

Thank you both for the reply

Fair warmed the cockles of my heart (WTF does that even mean????) to read that Chloe

Making hard choices, standing outside of the herd, waiting for things, going without stuff altogether in order to be true to ones principles is, by my book, the greatest gift any parent can ever give their child.

For what it's worth and in the hope that it gives you encouragement that your are doing the right thing; My children, all now young adults, have long since come to the understanding of how hard it is to parent that way.

They are frequently kind enough to tell me, in various ways, that for that, and that alone, they can forgive me all my many failings and mistakes.

Grandparent to a 6 year old too, I am now, as well.

It is far easier for her than it was for my own kiddies. She simply regards veg*anism as her natural identity as, if you add a veggie maternal grand mother into the mix, she is simply as her grandfather, her uncle and aunt, her mother, her mothers mother and her mothers mothers mother are and have always been.

I wish the feeling of that upon all first generation veggie parents. It feels just blurdy GREAT!

Re: Raising children in a non-vegan world

Chloe that is what I do, explain to them why I would like them to not eat certain foods and then find a replacement for it so they do not feel like they are going without. Just about any food in the world you can replace and kids seem ok with it.